State of Romance: Love around the home base of L.L. Bean
I visited Maine twice in the early 1990s when I was a lieutenant in the Air Force. I traveled to Loring AFB in the northeast corner for a conference. I also drove across the southern state line for the outlet stores while living in Boston. In fact, Maine was part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts until 1820, when its residents voted to secede. Maine was admitted to the Union on March 15, 1820, as our 23rd state. Its breathtaking scenery, including rugged coastline and lush forests, make it a romantic destination.
Contemporary romance appreciates the New England charm in Susan Elizabeth Phillips' Heroes Are My Weakness, Nora Roberts' One Man's Art and Shannon Stacey's Holiday Sparks. New England denizen Kristan Higgins introduces readers to Gideon's Cove in Catch of the Day, The Next Best Thing and Somebody to Love. Diane Amos brings laughs to the Portland area with Getting Personal, Getting Complicated and Getting in Deep.
Women's fiction enjoys Maine's natural beauty with Barbara Delinsky's Sweet Salt Air, Beth Gutcheon's More Than You Know, Mia March's Finding Colin Firth and J. Courtney Sullivan's Maine.
Perhaps its isolation inspires the numerous cozy mysteries set in Maine, including Kaitlyn Dunnett's Kilt Dead, B.B. Haywood's Town in a Blueberry Jam, Allison Kingsley's Mind Over Murder, Karen MacInerney's Murder on the Rocks, Leslie Meier's Mistletoe Murder and Barbara Ross' Clammed Up.
Young Adult fans enjoy the Pine Tree State in Catherine Clark's Maine Squeeze, Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush, Maurissa Guibord's Revel, Elizabeth Miles' Fury, Nicole Peeler's Tempest Rising, Devyn Quinn's Siren's Call, Stephanie Kate Strohm's Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink and Kelley York's Made of Stars.
Paranormal romance washes up to Maine's shores in Virginia Kantra's Sea Witch, Sea Fever and Sea Lord. Janet Chapman brings time-traveling Medieval warriors to Pine Creek in her Highlander series, including Charming the Highlander, Loving the Highlander and Wedding the Highlander.
Romantic suspense remembers Maine in Catherine Coulter's Twice Dead, Linda Howard's Ice and Carla Neggers' The Widow.
Add to the list of romance books set in Maine by using #StateOfRomance on Twitter. Next week we visit the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Kim Lowe is an Air Force veteran, Air Force spouse and romance book blogger at SOS Aloha. You can reach her at sos.aloha@yahoo.com.